Memory is the process whereby the brain stores and retrieves information. Memory is essential to learning. Scientists distinguish between long-term memory and short-term or working memory. Although the human brain is a far more powerful data processor than any computer, there are a few similarities. In the PC (personal computer), RAM (random access memory) stores working memory temporarily and yields it quickly. The PC stores data on a long term basis in the hard drive. Humans perceive an object or idea, and then store the information in their working memory. For the short time the information is there, they use it to remember a phone number, calculate a math problem or comprehend a sentence. Scientists consider the prefrontal cortex, a brain layer that lies just behind the forehead, to be the location for working memory. It has neural connections to all parts of the brain, and retains a...